The Executive Director of the International Centre of Excellence, Prof. Alash’le Abimiku, has said that similarities among different Lassa virus strains offer hope for a single vaccine to protect against the disease across West Africa.

Abimiku made this known to newsmen in Abuja, ahead of the institute’s 3rd Annual Scientific Symposium to hold on Monday and Tuesday. She harped on the institute’s focus areas in tackling infectious diseases prevalent in the region, said the centre had conducted a study on both the virus and the rodents that transmit Lassa fever to better understand how strains vary across states and countries.

Army Troops at the weekend swooped on terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements across the country, killing many and seizing arms and ammunition.

Army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele, gave accounts of how the criminals were neutralised in the Northwest, Northeast and Northcentral, with claims to have rescued many kidnapped victims, recovered assorted firearms, and seized illicit substances.

 According to her, in the Northeast, troops of one hundred and seventeen Task Force Battalion supported by Civilian Joint Task Force and vigilantes, engaged terrorists at Yimurmuze in Chibok Local Government of Borno State, neutralising one, and seized an AK-47 rifle, magazine, and 24 rounds of ammunition.

The Oyo State Government has called on local and international investors to express interest in the development and management of five priority tourism sites across the state under Public-Private Partnership arrangements.

The state, through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Oyo State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency, announced the investment drive in a statement. The five focus sites listed for concession are Eleyele Lake, Ibadan Cultural Centre, Bower’s Tower, Iyake Lake in Ado-Awaye, and Idere Hills.

The statement said that the Government seeks credible partners to finance, design, build, operate, and maintain these sites in line with the State’s Tourism Reset Agenda, ensuring sustainability, community inclusion, and strong return on investment.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has stated that health care requires a coordinated system and allocation of financial resources to ensure that the masses gain equitable access to healthcare, stressing that with Nigeria’s population, an investment is required in medical services.

Edun, who stated this in a National Health Financing Dialogue in Abuja, said that the dialogue is urgently and critically required and in alignment with the reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu and his pursuit of inclusive growth.

He, however, affirmed that there is an improvement at the primary health care level, adding that health care is much more accessible when it is pre-planned and pre-paid for.

The squad number summer signing, Alejandro Garnacho, will wear at Chelsea has been confirmed.

The Argentina international switched from Manchester United to the Blues.

However, the twenty-one-year-old will now wear the number forty-nine shirt at the Premier League west London club for the new season.